The Father of Haute-Alaskan Cuisine

Some people are born into their career. Take Joshua Slaughter: With that name, could he have become anything but a butcher or a chef? Embracing his moniker, Slaughter has carved out a profession as one of America’s most innovative chefs, having made a name for himself at Bouchon Bakery and wd~50. But to sample Slaughter’s forward-thinking, locally rooted cookery — Alaskan salmon funnel cake with apricot chutney; pork raised by a neighbor, partnered with candied fennel — you’ll either have to catch him at NYC’s James Beard House or book a flight to the Great White North. From late spring to early fall, he’s hunkered down near the glacier-strewn Wrangell–St. Elias National Park in McCarthy, Alaska, a minuscule city where the population can be counted in the dozens. Despite the town’s small size, Slaughter crafts outsize tasting menus at the McCarthy Lodge, giving tourists a taste of Alaskan cuisine — elk and all. Want to read my full interview? Head over to Food Republic. Eat it up!

4) Off Color Wari: The chicha de molle-inspired ale (an ancient Peruvian ferment) is made with purple corn, Schinus molle berries and souring bacteria. The beer's tart, dry and bright, as zingy as kombucha. And just 3.8 percent ABV. History!.